Senate District 8 Candidates Weigh Health Care Costs and Natural Resources

Seasoned legislator Tyson Running Wolf, a Democrat, and health care professional Christopher Paul Buckles, a Republican, are competing to represent Senate District 8. The district covers the Blackfeet Reservation and the east side of the Rocky Mountains, crossing the range into parts of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Reservation.  

Running Wolf, 52, grew up in Browning. A member of the Blackfeet Nation, he cofounded the nonprofit Blackfeet Eco Knowledge and owns a construction company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in forest resource management from the University of Montana. He served on the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council from 2014 to 2018 and has represented House District 16 since 2019. He was House minority whip during the 2025 Legislature. 

In the Legislature, Running Wolf has supported Medicaid and other affordable health initiatives, sponsored legislation supporting the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons task force, and worked to preserve natural resources. As a member of the Montana American Indian Caucus, he is interested in protecting the Native vote in the state.  

Buckles, 55, grew up in a military family and moved around the country. He served in the Montana National Guard as a helicopter mechanic from 1988 to 1994. He has spent the last two decades working in mental health services, with two bachelor’s degrees in health care administration and sociology under his belt. He runs Big Sky Life Support, a nonprofit focused on people who are chronically homeless or have mental disabilities. He and his wife also own a farm that helps supply food for people on federal assistance programs. Buckles said he is an associate member of the Fort Peck Tribes through an adopted father.  

Both candidates want to address data centers if elected to the 2027 Legislature. Running Wolf would like to start with education for legislators from a neutral party. 

“Not just from the data center people and not people that are just totally against it,” Running Wolf said. “We have to really know what the direct effect of this is going to be doing on our environment, us as humans, and how it’s going to affect our drinking water, and our sustainability to other resources that are maybe indirectly affected … Where do data centers fit in Montana, or do they even fit?” 

Buckles was similarly cautious. 

“Maybe we don’t have any,” Buckles suggested. “If we’re using our natural resources to where it compromises our environment, I’m not really for that.”  

Buckles cited other sustainability concerns, and he proposed a one-size-fits-most solution — industrial hemp. The plant requires less water than other crops like cotton and has uses ranging from clothing to personal care products. Most notably, Buckles pointed to its potential as a more sustainable replacement for corn, from which nearly all fuel ethanol in the United States is currently derived.  

Buckles said large-scale hemp production in Montana could also boost the economy, alleviate pressure on property taxes and the labor market, and increase the state’s self-sufficiency.  

“I think if we could come together as a state and actually make Montana biofuels rather than using corn … If we went in that direction, I think the state could be better off for it,” Buckles said.  

Both candidates want to push for affordable health care solutions. With changes to Medicaid and expired subsidies in the Affordable Care Act, Running Wolf said Democrats will need Republicans willing to work on solutions. Rep. Ed Buttrey, a Republican from Great Falls, who carried legislation to extend Medicaid in Montana, lost his primary earlier this year.  

“Somebody has to be able to step up on the other side of the aisle,” Running Wolf said. “Me as a legislator, I’ve got to sit in there and help any of them cross the aisle of people that will be the new champion.”  

Buckles is similarly interested in affordable health care options, along with streamlining existing federal programs. He opposes the additional verification checks required under the Medicaid changes, saying they burden people in those programs.  

Running Wolf is also keeping his eye on the Roadless Rule, a federal rule conserving national forests that is currently up for repeal. Senate District 8 covers parts of the Badger-Two Medicine, the Swan Valley and the Bob Marshall Wilderness, which could be affected if the rule is repealed. 

“We think it’s just the federal, but if we stand strong as Montana, Montana people from Montana lands, we’re going to make a voice and make an impact,” Running Wolf said.  

On property taxes, Running Wolf wants to examine changing the formula used by the Department of Revenue. Both sides of Senate District 8, especially land east of Glacier National Park, saw spikes in property taxes, some due to their classification as vacation property areas.  

In line with his advocacy work for the chronically homeless, Buckles also wants to pursue housing solutions, including temporary or long-term housing initiatives similar to those used in other cities.  

“You’re not chronically homeless if you have your stuff together,” Buckles said.  

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